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Choosing between InTouch Machine Edition Full Windows Runtime, Embedded Standard, Embedded Compact, and IoTView for your HMI Application

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InTouch Machine Edition is an integrated development environment, which allows you to design, develop, troubleshoot, and maintain HMI applications and deploy them into different platforms (operating systems). Even though the development environment (and the application) is the same for any platform, Wonderware offers different runtime editions suitable for technical and commercial constraints on each platform: InTouch Machine Edition Full Runtime, Embedded Standard runtime, Embedded Compact, and IoTView runtime.

Why InTouch Machine Edition?

To enable OEMs, Machine Builders, and End Users to create autonomous machines that  would seamlessly integrate machine and panel data directly into the Supervisory HMI and historical archive systems for a broader understanding of the entire operation with greater control, faster response times, more extensive reporting capabilities, higher operating efficiencies, and lower total cost of ownership.


 (1) Encryption supported by InTouch Machine Edition and Embedded Standard, but not supported by Embedded Compact.
(2) The vast majority of the built-in functions are supported by all Runtime Editions. However, specific functions are not supported on specific platforms. The complete reference is available in the Technical Reference manual at "Appendix: Built-in Scripting Language > List of available functions".                      
(3) Even though the ODBC worksheets (legacy) are not supported, the Database/ERP worksheets are supported.                         
(4) Multi-thread not supported (single thread supported). Moreover, the image of the operating system must support Remote DCOM.
(5) The vast majority of the native communication drivers are supported by many Runtime Editions. However, specific native drivers are not supported on specific platforms. The complete reference is available through the actual product (Project Explorer > Comm > Drivers > Add/Remove Drivers) and at the Wonderware blog (blog.wonderware.com)  Moreover, IoTView supports Main Driver Sheets only.     
(6) Studio Mobile Access Tabular supported for both Embedded Standard and Embedded Compact. Studio Mobile Access (HTML5) supported by Embedded Standard, but not by Embedded Compact.
(7) The screens can be converted to a different resolution by using the command "Home > Convert Resolution".                                                         
(8) Fill effects are supported for Rectangle objects.      
(9) The following formats are supported: BMP, JPG, and PNG, as long as the image of the device supports these formats as well.               
(10) The style type Ellipse is supported, but the style types Arc, Chord, and Ring are not supported.  
(11) The Hint field will update the Hint System Tag. The graphical tooltip will not be automatically displayed on Embedded Compact runtime nor on SMA Thin Clients.   
(12) The Command Events "On Down", "While Down", and "On Up" are supported. The remaining Command Events are not supported.  
(13) The rotation animation is supported for Closed Polygons, but not for Pictures.
(14) Embedded Compact does not support "Zoom and Pan gestures on project screens" and "Gestures with Rotation animation".
(15) The Hardware from the WiBu manufacturer is supported by all Runtime Editions. The Hardkey from Sentinel is not supported by Embedded Standard/Embedded Compact.
(16) Local Mode only. Distributed and LDAP modes not supported.           
(17) Alarm Online only. Alarm History not supported.
(18) History Format Database only. History Format Proprietary and Historian not supported.                               
(19) Project Symbols are supported, as long as their shapes, active objects, and/or animations are supported by the target platform.
(20) Built-in language only.
(21) Pushbutton, ListBox, and Smart Message not supported. Minor limitations in other objects (e.g.: Push-like not supported for Radio Button and Check Box).
(22) The ActiveX control must be compiled to the target platform.
(23)Built-in language, Open/Close Screen, and Set/Reset/Toggle Tag supported. VBScript not supported.




Sneak preview: What’s new in InTouch Machine Edition 2014 R2 (v8.0+Patch3)?

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If you were not present at the 2016 SAMC at the Marriott Anaheim,  you missed a lot. My next blog posts are scheduled to covered several new technologies that will be available soon. Since we are about the make available the new InTouch Machine Edition 2014 R2 (V8.0+ Patch 3) I’d like to start with covering its new features:

  • New licenses for Windows Desktop and Server Editions
  • Drivers
  • Enhanced Data Input for SMA Thin Clients
  • Integration with Wonderware Online
  • System Platform ITMEViewApp Object Integration

Support for ITME Full Runtime Edition, supported on Windows Desktop/Server operating systems (500 tags, 1000 tags, 3000 tags, or 60000 tags)
  • Seamless migration path from embedded HMI solutions to affordable, full-feature alternative for medium to small systems running on Windows desktop/server platform.

Support for SIEMENS TIA (Tag Integration and native communication driver), except for Embedded Compact (CEView) and IoTView
  • Ability to browse the tags directly from the SIEMENS TIA controllers (e.g.: S7-1500) and communicate with them.

Enhanced Data Input for Studio Mobile Access (SMA) Thin Clients (launching the native Virtual Keyboard from the thin client device)
  • Ability to input data from Studio Mobile Access (SMA) thin clients, using the native virtual keyboard interfaces provided by the mobile device, providing support for local language, as well as suitable and consistent experience for the local platform.

 Native integration with System Platform through the new ITMEViewApp object
  • Manage ITME applications from the ArchestrA IDE and centralized Galaxy Repository. Easily and naturally integrate and synchronize tag values, and alarm status from ITME runtime stations with System Platform.
  • Launch the ITME IDE from System Platform, so the user can create/modify an ITME project.
  • Store/Retrieve an ITME project from the ArchestrA System Repository.
  • Automatically expose tags (including their values) from the ITME project as attributes of the object in System Platform.
  • Automatically share the Alarm Status from the ITME project as attributes of the object in System Platform (including acknowledgment status).
  • Allow the user to easily set tags from the ITME project to be saved into the Wonderware Historian.
  • Deploy an ITME project to a runtime station from System Platform.
  • Select and deploy the same project to several InTouch Machine Runtime – maintaining  thousands of complex relationships from a central place

 Take a peek at the sample of The Wonderware HMI/SCADA Times and make sure to subscribe to get weekly editions delivered to your inbox.

InTouch Machine Edition Studio Mobile Access HTML 5 demo is live

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Studio Mobile Access (SMA) is one of the 3 "Thin Clients" available from InTouch Machine Edition. Mobile Access allows you to securely view information and (optionally) interact with your main project. Based on HTML 5 it can be used on most current tablets, phones and desktops, such as iPads, Android tablets and phones, and Chrome or Safari browsers.

 
  (user name = Guest; No password)

About Studio Mobile Access InTouch Machine Edition Thin Client
Your Data on Any Device
Wonderware understands that you need access to process data on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. That’s why Wonderware Software has been leading the way on mobile access for HMI/SCADA software. InTouch Machine Edition’s Studio Mobile Access client does not rely on any one web browser, meaning that you can use the SMA client on any device with an internet connection.  It is built around the new standard HTML 5, and can be deployed on any HTML 5 capable browser with internet access.
For example:
  • iPad, iPod Touch, and the iPhone
  • Blackberry devices
  • Android phones and tablets
  • Windows Mobile Phones


Mobile communication is no longer just a convenience in automation; it is a necessity. The high demand for efficient machines necessitates a steady flow of information that allows remote workers to make timely decisions to improve the speed, quality, or production levels of any process. With InTouch Machine Edition, you no longer need to tie yourself down to a machine HMI or a PC monitor. InTouch Machine Edition’ mobile solutions turn raw data into brilliant graphical representations that can be read and understood at a glance on mobile devices; allowing you to make real-time decisions wherever you are.

Benefits of the mobile thin clients
Take advantage of these innovations to:
  • Save time in maintenance and repair by receiving mobile alerts on your phone or tablet
  • View data remotely and avoid unnecessary trips to distant sites
  • Make critical decisions while you’re on the move
  • Give high-level management access to the data they need on any mobile device 
Mobile Solutions Keep Your Process Running 
To give you freedom, Wonderware team has developed a variety of solutions that keep you in touch with your critical information at all times. InTouch Machine Edition offers three different types of thin clients, allowing you to access your data wherever you go. To learn more about these options, please visit the previous blog post:


9 Signs Your SCADA Alarm System is Ineffective

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Alarms are one of the most critical components of industrial operations and the primary means of alerting the control room operators of abnormal situations. Effective handling of alarms is crucial to the plant’s safety, productivity and profitability; however, many manufacturing facilities do not have a long-term, well-defined alarm management program in place. In most cases the approach remains reactive rather than proactive.

Read the post to learn about the top nine indicators of poorly designed alarm system and ineffective alarm management, and identify the ones that are present in your facility.


1) Lack of clarity on alarm definition and prioritization: When alarm criteria are not clearly defined, it can result in situations where some alarms do not require a response from the operator - alarms with no defined purpose. The alarm system in such cases has too many informational and low-priority alarms, which increases the noise and confusion in the control room.

2) Alarm floods: If during abnormal situations or a plant upset, operators get flooded with a large number of alarms (10 or more alarms in any 10-minute period per operator) then there is some problem in your alarm system design.

3) High number of alarms during normal operations: If your operators are overwhelmed with alarms even during steady state operating conditions, it is a clear sign that your alarm system needs some serious fine tuning.

4) Nuisance and repetitive alarms: These alarms appear frequently throughout normal system operation and can reduce an operator's confidence in the alarm system. These alarms mask the important alarms, ones that require operator attention and response.

5) Consequential or Cascading alarms: These are alarms that tend to be raised consistently as a consequence of some other alarm, they always occur together. A large number of consequential alarms can cause an alarm flood, which can overwhelm operators and subsequently render the alarm system ineffective. 

6) Unclear alarm messages: Unclear alarm messages do not provide meaningful information to the operator concerning the cause of the problem or the corrective action. The lack of proper guidelines for alarm implementation affects an operator’s ability to effectively respond to alarms.

7) High number of high-priority alarms: Presence of too many high-priority alarms in the alarm system negatively affects the operator’s ability to distinguish between important safety-critical alarms and routine process alarms, and they learn to treat some alarms as low-priority alarms.

8) Standing alarms:These alarms are continuously present on the alarm display and remain active for very long periods of time. It provides a distraction for the operator in effectively dealing with new alarm conditions that need attention. 
[Note:EEMUA recommends no more than 10 standing alarms for facilities during steady state operations.]

9) Repeated alarm shelving: If an alarm is being shelved almost every single day then clearly there is some problem that should be addressed. When there is a need to shelve an alarm (or several alarms) for a long time, say a month or two, the alarm(s) should not be part of main alarm list. Such scenarios indicate equipment malfunction issues or alarm system design related problems. 
[Note:The EEMUA guidelines suggest that there should be less than 30 shelved alarms in an efficient industrial facility at any given time.]

    In the next blog, I will talk about the key alarm management improvement strategies that should be considered to build a successful alarm management program.

    Register to Download Alarm Adviser Free Trial





    The Basics of MQTT-The Messaging Protocol for the Internet of Things and an example of an IoTView HMI integration

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    MQTT is a machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) open protocol standardized by the OASIS Technical Committee (www.oasis-open.org). The protocol is easy to adopt for a wide variety of IoT devices, platforms, and operating systems. Enterprise cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure expose their IoT PaaS through MQTT.


    This blog post introduces the core concepts of MQTT that are necessary for building M2M and IoT applications. It covers the basic terminology, along with a section on integrating MQTT with an IoTView HMI.

    Why Was MQTT created?
    MQTT was created in 1999 by  Andy Stanford-Clark and Arlen Nipper. The motivation for designing MQTT was to create a lightweight and bandwidth-efficient protocol that was data agnostic with support for multiple levels of Quality of Service. Today, those are the same reasons for which MQTT is chosen for implementing IoT solutions.

    How does MQTT Work?
    MQTT was designed as an extremely lightweight Publish/Subscribe messaging transport. It is useful for connections with remote locations where a small code footprint is required and/or network bandwidth is at a premium.

    MQTT uses the publisher & subscriber pattern to connect interested parties with each other. It does it by decoupling the sender-publisher with the receiver -subscriber. The publisher sends a message to a central topic which has multiple subscribers waiting to receive the message. The publishers and subscribers are autonomous, which means that they do not need to know the presence of each other.

    Where can it be used?
    The MQTT has been used in sensors communicating to a Broker via satellite link, over occasional dial-up connections, and in a range of automation and small device scenarios. It is also ideal for mobile applicationsbecause of its small size, low power usage, minimized data packets, and efficient distribution of information to one or many receivers

    Terminology. What are Clients, Brokers. Topics?

    Client – Any publisher or subscriber that connects to the centralized broker over a network is considered to be the client. It’s important to note that there are servers and clients in MQTT. Both publishers and subscribers are called as clients since they connect to the centralized service. Clients can be persistent or transient. Persistent clients maintain a session with the broker while transient clients are not tracked by the broker. Clients often connect to the broker through libraries (Sample libraries available for C, C++, Go, Java, C#, PHP, Python, Node.js, and Arduino) and software development toolkits  (SDKs).
    Broker: The Broker is primarily responsible for:
    ·         receiving all messages and
    ·         filtering them
    ·         deciding who is interested
    ·         sending the message to all subscribed clients
    ·         the authentication and authorization of clients
    It also holds the session of all persisted clients including subscriptions and missed messages.
    The broker is the central hub, which every message needs to pass
    Commercial MQTT brokers  examples: HiveMQ,XivelyAWS IoT, Loop.

    Topic:
    A Topic In MQTT is a hierarchical structured string, which is used for message filtering and routing and determines which message gets to which client. It acts as the central distribution hub for publishing and subscribing messages.
    Connection – MQTT can be utilized by clients based on TCP/IP. The standard port exposed by brokers is 1883, which is not a secure port. Those brokers who support TLS/SSL typically use port 8883. For secure communication, the clients and the broker rely on digital certificates.

    Quality of Service
    This value determines how the client and the server communicate to deliver the message.
     Hands-on with MQTT
    Now that the key concepts were covered, let’s see MQTT in action. This section will help you understand the essence of MQTT. IoT View Runtime of InTouch Machine Edition is used to illustrtae
    Installing the broker
    One open source software MQTT broker is called Mosquitto. For installation instructions, please refer to the installation guide.
    Architectures
    Sample Applications Goals
    •  Distributed Data Acquisition, Manipulation and Control
    •  Centralized Management

    Characteristics and Requirements
    • Scalable – Large number of devices
    • Secure – Encryption, Filtering, Remote notification
    • Platform agnostic – Both local runtime and remote Thin Clients
    • Simple - Easy to configure, deploy, and maintain

    Wonderware Software value to customers:
    • CONNECT: Broadening the connectivity layer with low-cost, low-power sensors (Ex: IoTView)
    • COLLECT: Storing massive amounts of industrial data on premise and in the Cloud (Ex: Wonderware Online)
    • CONTEXTUALIZE: Converting industrial data to meaningful analytics 
    • CLOSE THE LOOP: Delivering real-time actionable information and business logic

    The IoTView MQTT Driver
    InTouch Machine Edition  is an easy to use development and runtime (ex: IoTView) software that  is designed  for the embedded operating systems.  It has strong integration with the Wonderware portfolio of products such as System Platform and Wonderware Onlins.  It is the perfect solution for embedded HMI on the plant floor or IoT / Industry 4.0 solutions. 

    How is InTouch Machine Edition & IoTView used?
    • Design an application once and deploy it to any embedded device that supports Windows Embedded, Linux and VxWork. 
    • Remote visualization using web browsers or  viewers

    The MQTT driver build in the IoTView,  is available for the following Runtime Target
    • Full RT– Windows PC Runtime
    • Embedded Standard – Runtime for Windows Embedded Standard
    •  IoTView – Platform Agnostic Runtime (Linux)

    Current MQTT Driver Limitations in IoTView
    • No support for Authentication
    • No support for SSL

    For a free product download (it runs for 40 hours) click here: wonderware.com/itme2
    In conclusion, MQTT is the most preferred protocol for M2M and IoT applications. Based on the publisher & subscriber pattern, it simplifies the connectivity between devices. This post attempted to introduce you to the basics of MQTT.  I will cover other aspects of MQTT including cybersecurity and practical applications in the upcoming posts.

    References:

    Alarm Management Best Practices for Safer Plant Operations

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    Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system alarms are a key tool for managing maintaining safe operations. However, the number of alarms generated can be excessive, overloading controllers and creating a significant safety hazard, making effective alarm management a necessity. 

    The definition of alarm management centers around two major components — managing the notifications generated by the SCADA system and developing a program to analyze and continually improve the alarm system. In other words, reducing the number of false alarms and improving the management of real alarms to reduce controller load.

    Building an Alarm Management Program

    There are several steps to building a successful and compliant alarm management program that operators should follow. Developing best practices is a continuously repeating process of evaluation and audit that considers:
    • Alarm Philosophy
    • Measurement, through benchmarking, and performance audit
    • Rationalization (rules of engagement), including identification of the ‘bad actor’ and clean up of repeat offender
    • Dynamic and state-based alarming, including parent/child suppression
    • Implementation
    • Continuous improvement
    • Management of change

    Alarm Philosophy
    Alarm Philosophy shapes and guides an alarm management program. It is a performance-based written plan that describes your executive mission statement for your program, the owners of the program, and owners and responsibilities for the actual alarm program. A philosophy would include: 
    • Purpose — why do you have an alarm management program and what do you expect from it? 
    • Definition — what do you consider an “alarm”? Does it signal an event that requires action, or does it merely signal development of a deviation from normal? 
    • Executive mission statement — important for executive buy-in because of the costs associated with alarm management. 
    • Ownership — who is responsible for alarm management? Clear roles and responsibilities must be laid out.
    • Alarm documentation and rationalization — includes process, methodology, preparation, alarm priorities, alarm set-points and information storage (master alarm database). 
    • Alarm audits and performance monitoring — how are audits to be conducted, by whom, and what indicators are considered? 
    • Management of change — documentation of how notification and training are conducted.

    Benchmark and Performance Audit
    Operators want to see continuous improvement in their alarm management program. To do that, benchmark alarm activity levels need to be measured and referenced against current levels over time. By creating dashboards in the SCADA system that monitor these values, operators can compare current alarm levels with historic performance (e.g., this shift versus last shift, this week versus last week, etc.) for a continual performance audit.

    Rationalization
    A primary function of alarm management is to determine which alarms need responses and which are repetitive or “bad actors.” A common control industry for an alarm is a notification that requires a response. The rationalization process is a point-by-point review of the pipeline system to determine which SCADA alarms do, in fact, require a response and developing a prioritization level for them. As well as documenting the appropriate response to the alarm once it has been verified.

    It is during this review that operators begin to develop a clear picture of the alarm system. Rationalization provides the information needed to begin the implementation phase of the alarm management plan.

    Implementation
    As the rationalization process takes place, the most egregious “bad actors” will be identified relatively quickly and operators can take immediate steps to address them. After dealing with this “low hanging fruit,” alarm levels will drop off and allow operators to begin looking for more subtle alarm issues. This is an ongoing process and can be dependent on the guidelines used in crafting the Alarm Philosophy.


    All of this needs to happen within an audited program, so that when you need to make a change to an alarm limit, you can prove that any changes to the operating procedures were communicated to the controllers and well documented.

    Alarm Adviser - Download it Free!

    Alarm Management Improvement Strategies

    As operators enter the implementation phase, there are a variety of resources available to guide the process. At Schneider Electric, we follow EEMUA 191 guidelines published by Engineering Equipment and Materials Users’ Association. In an effort to prioritize the strategies based upon the resulting improvements to system performance, the EEMUA recommends applying first basic, then advanced techniques to achieve the necessary improvements.
    Based upon this process, the following strategies should be considered in approaching an alarm management improvement process —

    High Benefit Strategies
    These strategies, while providing the highest value, involve little advanced technology, having more to do with reviewing alarms and adjusting alarm settings properly:
    • Review alarm storms to determine noise vs. value—a true system upset can generate a storm of alarms, not all of which are valuable to addressing the area of concern.
    • Tune alarm settings on nuisance alarms, fix known issues—many times, operators and controllers have identified chattering alarms or alarms resulting from broken field equipment and just ignore them. These are easily identifiable fixes.
    • Adjust deadbands of repeating alarms—adjusting or adding a deadband to reduce noise.
    • Eliminate alarms with no defined response—as stated before, an alarm is defined as an event with a defined response. Identified alarms with no defined response should be given a low priority setting. These alarms can also be changed to alerts.
    • Ensure alarm priorities are correctly assigned
    • Introduce Alarm Shelving—rather than turning off alarms, lower priority alarms can be shelved, marking the controller as acknowledging the alarm but being held for later action so as to clear alarm noise.
    • Introduce single line annunciation of repeating alarms—rather than generating repeating notifications from the same alarm, one alarm is generated with a counter showing the number of times it has been triggered.

    Medium Benefit Strategies
    • Suppress alarms from “out of service” stations—stations that are offline, during calibration for instance, may generate many nuisance alarms. These alarms can be grouped and suppressed on the display.
    • Replace absolute alarms with deviation alarms—setting alarm triggers as a deviation from an acceptable range rather than a set point.
    • Eclipsing—if one alarm goes from a lower priority to a higher priority, rather than leaving both alarms displayed the lower priority alarm is eclipsed.
    • Apply filtering, de-bouncing, suppression on repeating alarms—alarms can be filtered into various classes that suppress repetition.
    • Using logic to combine redundant sets of alarms—grouping similar alarms that require the same action or denote a pattern and eliminating all but the most critical.

    Additional Benefit Strategies
    There are additional advanced alarm improvement strategies that can be applied once the highest and medium benefit strategies have been implemented. They include using dynamic alarm thresholds, operator-set alarms, and operational mode suppression. 

    Tracking Improvement

    As these strategies are implemented and reviewed over time, operators should be able to see not only a reduced number of alarms but a general improvement in safety and performance of the alarm system, as well as more efficient control room operation overall. Schneider Electric customers that were skeptical at being able to achieve an alarm rate of six to ten alarms per hour just a few years ago, are now seeing significant drops in their alarm loads as they continue to refine their alarm management program. It is important that these performance measures are tracked carefully, especially as operations are scaled up into larger point counts.

    SCADA alarms are necessary for effective and safe operations. Yet the industry advises that operators carefully assess how much alarm is too much for its particular infrastructure and operations. Excessive alarms can overload controllers and actually undermine safe operations. Best practices in control room management and alarm management help the operator implement a program to analyze and continually improve the alarm system for better pipeline safety and operational efficiency.

    Source: Whitepaper on Alarm Management, July 2012. 




    Wastewater SCADA Modernization Boosts Operational Efficiency While Driving Down Cost - Learn how to do the same

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    Join Automation World for this free, one-hour educational webinar.
    Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2016  Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM CDT

    In order to more effectively manage and maintain the county’s sanitary sewer system, which includes 3,500 miles of sewer lines stretching across a 420 square mile area, Pima County Wastewater Department implemented Wonderware's unique HMI Situational Awareness framework during a recent SCADA system upgrade. 

    Using the Wonderware solution, the wastewater treatment facility was able to double capacity while operating using the same number of staff. In total, Pima County achieved about a 50 percent increase in overall operational efficiency while driving down the cost of doing business through centralized monitoring and control of the entire wastewater system, including treatment plants and pump stations.
    Join us for an interactive discussion with Pima County’s Larry Sawicki and Clyde Pace of EMA, Inc., learn from their challenges, and discover how a modern SCADA system can help your public utility to:
    • Easily consolidate heterogeneous control and data acquisition products into one unified SCADA system
    • Migrate from the manual collection of data and logbooks to more accessible electronic records that meet state, federal and environmental regulations
    • Optimize alarm management using goal-oriented designs, effective window structure, color usage, and actionable alarm management to immediately identify problems before they escalate
    • Implement Situational Awareness to improve decision support

    Having a single source of actionable information for operational, engineering and corporate business users allows organizations to move to an adaptive (vs. reactive) model, and allows operators to proactively detect—and fix—abnormal disturbances.
    Q&A session following the live webinar.

    New InTouch Machine Edition Sample Application - Browse Files on Server

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    Wonderware Software Helps Pima County Increase Efficiency by 50%. Learn how via a live webinar

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    Pima County Wastewater Reclamation upgraded their SCADA systems using industry best practices and situational awareness concepts to yield significant operations, maintenance, data integration, and knowledge retention improvement.


    A high-performance Wonderware HMI SCADA and decision-support system from Schneider Electric Software has helped Pima County, Ariz., increase operational efficiency of its Tres Rios wastewater reclamation facility by 50 percent, while reducing energy costs by 10 percent and doubling its capacity. And they did it all without reducing headcount. More than 1 million Arizonans depend on that facility's system, which treats 60 million gallons of wastewater a day through 3,700 miles of pipes covering 700 square miles across Tucson, Marana and several other cities. The Wonderware solution helps manage 97 percent of Tres Rios' total sewage treatment capacity

    Pima County Wastewater Reclamation Success Story from Schneider Electric Software on Vimeo.
    Join Automation World for this free, one-hour educational webinar to learn more or Read the full story:.
    Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2016  Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM CDT

    Welcome to the New Wonderware Website

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    This summer, Wonderware is transforming more than industrial performance, we’re also transforming our website. After months of development and fine-tuning, we’re excited to announce that the new wonderware.com is now live, featuring industrial news, IIoT topics, Wonderware solutions, industry content and much more.

    The new site is built to educate, inform and empower industry practitioners and thought leaders around the globe. “We set ourselves a goal to dramatically improve the way that we communicate with the Wonderware industrial software community” said Phil Couling, Director of Global Product Marketing for Wonderware, “this totally new website greatly improves our ability to reach our users, distributors and partners with finesse and depth.”

    Wonder On
    In her remarks on the new website and web content, Sara Volpe, Director of Global Marketing, Information, Asset and Operations Management Portfolio said, “Without our customers, we would be nowhere. They have challenged us to develop innovative, scalable and tailored solutions that deliver meaningful impact throughout the industrial value chain. It’s to their credit that we are leading the industrial software market today.”


    Read the whole blog that first appeared here:  on.wonderware.com

    Typical use of the InTouch Machine Edition Thin Clients

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    There have been a few questions that have come up in regards to thin clients, and web connectivity for Wonderware InTouch Machine Edition. I’d like to address four common questions.
    What are Thin Clients?
    Thin Clients allow users to interact with the graphical interface of the applications (screens) from stations where the runtime components do not need to be installed/stored (product, project/application, nor license). InTouch Machine Edition offers different types of Thin Clients as illustrated in the following picture and described in the following table:

    Do I need to install any license on the Thin Client Station?
    You do not have to install any license on the Thin Client station(s). The license installed on the runtime server station controls how many Thin Clients of each type can be concurrently connected to the Server (runtime edition). The following table illustrates the Thin Clients supported by each runtime edition (the price varies depending on the number of Thin Clients actually supported by the runtime edition license):

    Do you have a live demo of the thin Clients?
    Yes, click on the link below to see a live demo of the HTML 5 Studio Mobile Acess: http://blog.wonderware.com/2016/05/intouch-machine-edition-studio-mobile.html

    Wonderware Releases New Set of Operations Integration Servers [Video]

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    We are pleased to announce the release of 2016 Q2 Operations Integration (OI) Servers. The release is divided up into four different categories - maintenance release of existing OI Servers; conversion of DAServers to OI Servers; new OI Servers and new communication protocols; and two additional announcements related to OI servers licensing and configuration. 

    Check out the Video by Alvaro Martinez, the Product Manager for Wonderware Operations Integration Servers, where he explains the new functionalities and capabilities of Wonderware Operations Integration Servers. 



    The Operations Integration (OI) Core G-1.2 has been enhanced in this release to support security functionality for servers that enable SQL connectivity. It has also been enhanced to allow ‘Read-Only’ configuration capability. The OI Core is now backward compatible. All existing OI Servers can run with the OI Core G-1.2.

    As part of our commitment to quality, we are providing maintenance release updates to our existing OI Servers. The following three OI Servers have been updated:
    • BACLITE OI Server (OI BACLITE G-1.2) – for building controls relaying on BACNet standards
    • MELSEC OI Server – for Mitsubishi-based controllers
    • TWINCAT OI Server – for BECKHOFF controllers

    We have converted some of our legacy DA Servers to Operations Integration Servers – this will allow these servers to leverage the OI core benefits. InTouch Machine Edition OI Server (OI ITME G-1.2) replaces some of the legacy DA Servers; it supports connectivity to the new InTouch Machine Edition v8.0 as well as previous versions. The OMRONFINS DAServer has been converted to an OI Server.

    The new OI Servers released are - OI ADPRO G-1.2, OI DOMORE G-1.2, OI Gateway G-1.2, OI TI500 G-1.2, OI SNMP G-1.2, and OI ITME G-1.2. As part of the evolution, FSGateway now becomes OI Gateway. By leveraging the OI Core infrastructure, the Gateway now supports much more scalable architectures. In addition, the Gateway has been improved for faster performance – sub-second performance, as low as 50 msec updates rates, can be easily achieved. The Gateway has been enhanced to support two connection types – OPC-UA and MQTT. 

    Here are the Highlights of Wonderware OI Server 2016-Q2 Release:


    Maintenance Release of Existing OI Servers
    • OI Core version G-1.2– Maintenance release
                 > The OI Core is enhanced to support new security functionality on some drivers
                 > Read-Only capability – OI Servers can now be configured to act as Read-Only servers
    • OI BACLITE G-1.2– (BACNet) maintenance release
    • OI TWINCAT G-1.2– (Beckhoff) maintenance release
    • OI MELSEC G-1.2– (Mitsubishi) maintenance release

    DAServers Conversion to OI Servers
                  > Replaces the Legacy DAServer
                  > Support for InTouch Machine Edition version 8.0
    • OMRON: OI OMRONFINS G-1.2
                 > Replaces the Legacy DAServer

    New OI Servers (and new protocols!)
    • Automation Direct
                 > OI ADPRO G-1.2 – Support for Productivity Series controller family
                 > OI DOMOR G-1.2 – Support for the Do-More Series controller family
    • MQTT OI Server - for Internet of Things
    • OPC-UA (See OI Gateway)
    • SNMP  OI SNMP G-1.2
                 > Support for SNMP versions 1 & 2
                 > Support for unsolicited messages (Traps)
    • Texas Instruments – OI TI500 G-1.2
                 > Support for series TI545, TI565, TI575, CTI2500
                 > Serial and Ethernet connectivity
    • Wonderware – OI Gateway G-1.2
                 > Replaces FSGateway moving forward
                 > Improved performance - Sub-second update performance
    • OPC-UA Client:Allows stand-alone support for InTouch, Historian, InBatch or any OPC/DDE/SuiteLink compliant software that requires connectivity to OPC-UA Servers. It is compatible with Application Server by leveraging existing Application Server clients (OPC or DDE/SuiteLink), and supports secured connectivity when necessary.
    • MQTT Client (Internet of Things protocol)
                 > Enables connectivity to an MQTT Broker
                 > Supports connection security
                 > Supports payload identity authentication
                > Support MQTT standard syntax of both simple and complex JSON formatted messages
    • OPC-DA Publisher – Make OPC-DA Sources act as MQTT edge devices. Support leveraging the OI Gateway for publishing references from OPC-DA data sources such as PLC data through OPC-DA compliant servers.

    Two More Announcements that are Part of this Release –
    •  OFS v3.60: OFS is the OPC Factory Server by Schneider Electric. It is now available for download from our product hub. OFS v3.60 has been specifically developed for the Wonderware market. This server is a stand-alone OPC Server. It supports Modbus protocol configuration for both Serial and Ethernet connections.
                 > Supports the latest Modicon controllers
                 > Leverages the connectivity to Structured/Tagname based PLC programs
                 > Uses the Wonderware licenses that support of I/O feature line
    • All Operations Integration Servers
                 > Support OI Standard and Professional licenses and functionality
                 > Support Multi-Instance – which helps improve scalability, robustness & performance
                 > Support Multi-Version (where applicable)
                > Support for ‘Read-Only’ configuration

    Continuously Growing Driver Suite from Wonderware!

    New additions at a glance! All products are in the generation G-1.2 Series:
    • Operations Integration Core  (OI Core) G-1.2 version 4.2
    • OI ADPRO G-1.2 version 1.6
    • OI BACLITE G-1.2 version 3.9
    • OI CODESYS G-1.2 version 2.7
    • OI DOMORE G-1.2 version 1.2
    • OI Gateway G-1.2 version 4.0
    • OI ITME G-1.2 version 2.0
    • OI MELSEC G-1.2 version 10.6
    • OI TI500 G-1.2 version 1.13
    • OI TWINCAT G-1.2 version 1.2
    • OMRONFINS G-1.2 version 10.12


    Related posts:


    Register Now for the annual 2016 User Conference

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    Register now for the annual Wonderware User conference the largest gathering of the global Wonderware community of industrial automation professionals committed to extracting the most from their automation investment and sharing their knowledge with each other.


    Join us in Orlando for opportunities to connect, collaborate, and learn about Wonderware solutions. This year we are offering all-new technical deep-dives on topics such as next Generation HMI/SCADA platform addresses IT/OT Convergence, IIoT, Cyber-security and delivers Engineering Simplification and Enhanced Usability
    Dates: October 3-6, 2016
    Location: Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, FL
    Early Bird Registration: $799 (expires 8/31/2016)

    Some things to expect while attending Wonderware User Conference 2016:
    • Exciting new products, services, and other reveals in the keynote sessions.
    • In-depth technical information across workshops and break-out sessions will cover pertinent issues such as reducing manufacturing operations costs and improving agility.
    • Wonderware thought leaders will present product and service roadmaps, host demonstration booths and provide opportunities to speak specifically to your needs.
    • Network with industry peers and share customer success stories and best practices. Throughout the conference you can meet face-to-face with industry and process experts, interact with fellow automation professionals and make new contacts.
    • Celebrate with the Wonderware community at our after-hours activities, including a soccer game
    Register now and take advantage of great rates at Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, FL.
    Stay connected: Join the conversation on Twitter using #WonderON and follow @fogoros for news and updates.

    I look forward to seeing you in October!
    Lucian Fogoros

    What Do IIoT and Abraham Lincoln Have in Common?

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    Wonderware Software Solutions for Real-Time Success™
    Published by
    23 March 2016
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    blog­.wonderware­.com - Many Human Machine Interface (HMI) software solutions enable IoT connectivity in a variety of ways. Here’s a look at how to do it, along with instructions for configuring an HMI. Machine builders a...

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    blog­.wonderware­.com - A guest blog by Eric Farrugia, VP Strategic Marketing, Industrial Controls & Drives IIoT is blurring the boundaries between physical and virtual objects. This is giving way to more flexible models ...

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    blog­.wonderware­.online - Recently my esteemed colleague Lucian Fogoros wrote an excellent blog post on how to connect Wonderware InTouch Machine Edition to Wonderware Online View the blog entry here: http://blog.wonderware...

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    blog­.wonderware­.com - This blog post focuses on the IIoT impact on automation architectures. As smart manufacturing enterprises start implementing smart enterprise control and asset performance systems managed by augmen...

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    blog­.wonderware­.com - Several barriers will need to be overcome before next generation IIoT systems are widely adopted across manufacturing industries. This blog posts covers the top 3, that include the establishment of...

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    blog­.wonderware­.com - The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is not about ripping out current automation systems in order to replace them with new ones. The potential lies in the ability to link automation systems wit...

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    Automation Brings Manufacturing Back Home and much more

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    Wonderware Software Solutions for Real-Time Success™
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    27 April 2016
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    blog­.wonderware­.com - In this Video, John Krajewski, gives you 10 powerful tips for improving your InTouch HMI application design to better visualize, control & optimize your industrial operations.   Tip 1: Data Driven ...

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    blog­.wonderware­.com - Here are the most viewed posts on blog.wonderware.com from March 2016: Many Human Machine Interface (HMI) software solutions enable IoT connectivity in a variety of ways. Here’s a look at how to do...

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    www­.automationworld­.com - Though some argue that robots are putting Americans out of work, the flipside of that argument is that manufacturing wouldn’t be here at all without the robots. According to Jim Lawton, fleets of r...

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    blog­.schneider-electric­.com - Sustainability has become the buzz word of our times. People, governments, enterprises, cities, not-for-profits, institutions, buildings and homes are all talking about it. We live in a closed ecos...

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    blog­.wonderware­.com - The InTouch Machine Edition Web Thin Client is a powerful tool for getting access to HMI applications designed in InTouch Machine Edition remotely. The web thin client is especially valuable to pla...

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    blog­.wonderware­.online - In the last two weeks we've released two major updates for Wonderware SmartGlance that I wanted to highlight. For our iPhone and iPad apps, Wonderware SmartGlance now displays a new alert badge cou...

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    Saving data from a CSV to an SQL Relational database using InTouch Machine Edition

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    This InTouch Machine Edition demo application  allows you to take a CSV file and  export its  data into a SQL Relational Database.  








    Download the CSV to DB application here

    To run this application, follow the 3 simple steps below:
    • Install ITME8.0 (or later) in your computer (wonderware.com/ITME2)
    • Extract the files from CSVToDB.zip into your computer
    • Open ITME 2014 R2 (v 8.0 or later) development environment and run theCSVToDB application.

     Related posts:

    Subscribe to the Wonderware HMI/SCADA Times and get the latest trending topics and articles related to HMI and SCADA, including the Wonderware User Group 2016. (wonderware.com/wwtimes).

    Situational Awareness Video aims to improve User Experience (UX)

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    Our SI partner, Wunderlich Malec, has created a reproducible solution that provides a highly effective user experience. The following video produced by Wunderlich Malec covers a combination of Situational Awareness with a methodical approach to modular PLC code that has produced an effective interface.  
    What is Wonderware Situational Awareness?
    Wonderware Situational Awareness is a design approach devoted to providing operators with the most relevant and necessary information at the right time. They see the situation at hand in full context of what is happening in real-time, how it links to previous events, and where the process might be headed.  Such an accurate visual combination of past, present, and potential consequences leads to an exceptionally clear understanding, opportunistic analysis and reaction time, and better decisions.
    Products:
    • System Platform – Application Server, Intouch, Historian.
    • Schneider Electric PLCs


      Related posts:

      Sneak Preview at the ITMEViewApp System Platform Object

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      InTouch Machine Edition is a natural extension of the current Wonderware HMI portfolio and the perfect complement for customers who already own Wonderware System Platform or Wonderware Historian. It provides embedded devices, local PC-based HMIs, SCADA systems with unique functionality for connecting automation systems end-to-end.
      The ITMEViewApp System Platform Object facilitates a seamless integration of InTouch Machine Edition to System Platform and Historian. This blog post reviews the capabilities of the new object that can be downloaded here now and soon will be available on the GCS site (wdn.wonderware.com). Stay tunned for an upcoming webinar covering this object and its benefits.

      Native integration with System Platform through the new ITMEViewApp object
      • Manage ITME applications from the ArchestrA IDE and centralized Galaxy Repository. Easily and naturally integrate and synchronize tag values, and alarm status from ITME runtime stations with System Platform.
      • Launch the ITME IDE from System Platform, so the user can create/modify an ITME project.
      • Store/Retrieve an ITME project from the ArchestrA System Repository.
      • Automatically expose tags (including their values) from the ITME project as attributes of the object in System Platform.
      • Automatically share the Alarm Status from the ITME project as attributes of the object in System Platform (including acknowledgment status).
      • Allow the user to easily set tags from the ITME project to be saved into the Wonderware Historian.
      • Deploy an ITME project to a runtime station from System Platform.
      • Select and deploy the same project to several InTouch Machine Runtime – maintaining thousands of complex relationships from a central place

      Take a peek at the The WonderwareHMI/SCADA Times and make sure you enter your email to subscribe to get weekly editions delivered to your inbox.


      InTouch Machine Edition Tips and Tricks – Machine Builder Template

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      InTouch Machine Edition has functionality that allows you to build just about any machine builder application. However, not everyone wants to start from scratch. If you want to ship a machine with a complete solution without developing the HMI from scratch, our group has put together a “starter” application for you.


      This template was developed to give machine builders a “head start” when using InTouch Machine Edition to create an HMI for their machine.
      We’ve made this application free to download and use with InTouch Machine Edition. This may also be a useful sample application for anyone who wants to see some useful techniques for developing applications that can be adapted to many different machines and configurations.

      [Infographics] Effective Alarm Management

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       Infographics - Alarm Management
      A focus on increased volumes of data in SCADA systems without a corresponding focus on proper configuration of associated alarms leads to poorly designed alarm systems, which in turn overwhelm the operator with alarm floods.
      Large numbers of alarms with little or no contextual increase the risks of missed alarms and potential plant damage or personal injury.

      Alarm management is one of the most important yet most undervalued and overlooked aspects of industrial operations. Studies show that more than $20B is lost annually due to unscheduled downtime, and 40% of these losses are linked to preventable human errors. It has been observed in various research studies that human performance contributes to 70-80% of all abnormal situations at industrial plants. 

      The key factors responsible for human errors are:
      • Nuisance alarms that mask critical alarms
      • Alarm floods during plant upsets
      • Operator’s inability to respond in time, especially during abnormal situations
      • Lack of insight into alarms, plant processes and equipment damage

      I am happy to share the new Alarm Management infographics that our team at Wonderware (Schneider Electric Software) created. This infographics has some interesting information about common alarm management challenges, signs of poor alarm management system, and top alarm management priorities for control room operators, engineers and facility managers.


      Effective alarm management is the key to a plant’s safety, productivity and profitability. And to achieve operational excellence, it is very important to understand and use Situational Awareness concepts in combination with alarm analysis software such as Wonderware Alarm Adviser and HMI/SCADA software solutions like Wonderware InTouch and System Platform.

       Alarm Management Infographic

      Did you know?
      • The ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009 Standard defines ‘Alarm Flood’ as a condition during which the alarm rate is greater than the operator can effectively manage, e.g. 10 or more predictive alarms in any 10 minute period per operator. Alarm floods have been identified as one of the major contributing factors in a number of industrial incidents.
      • The EEMUA guidelines suggest that there should be no more than 30 shelved alarms in an efficient industrial facility at any given time.
      • EEMUA recommends no more than 10 standing alarms for facilities during steady state operations.

      Read the postto learn about the top nine indicators of poorly designed alarm system and ineffective alarm management, and identify the ones that are present in your facility. 

      Maintaining a Well-functioning Alarm System           
      Situational Awareness cannot be successful without a proper alarm management strategy. Without an efficient alarm management system, it is basically like tying a horse behind a cart and it really has no purpose.

      The management of alarms, design, runtime, and analysis can be an enormous task. This process is also ongoing; not a task that is executed only one time. Though this ongoing process can appear tedious, ultimately it will result in more stable operations with higher throughput. What’s more, operators can be freed to focus on other more productive activities. At Schneider Electric, our approach to alarm management begins with a thorough analysis of the current situation, implementation of the system, and alarm system philosophy. These activities are ongoing activities; monthly/weekly activities are required to act upon report data, and to execute improvement plans such as eliminating bad actors, implementing state-based alarm suppression, and/or adjusting alarm limit settings.

      Here is a graphical representation of high-level annual and monthly operations activity plans. This is a modified version of a typical alarm management life cycle, which shows where exactly Wonderware software fits in.

       Actionable Alarm Management

      Are nuisance alarms affecting your operators’ effectiveness? Learn how to manage your alarms better!


      More Information:

      For more information on our HMI/SCADA portfolio, contact a distributor.
      Find Your Local Distributor





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